2015 Genesis wins highest safety rating

Hyundai Motor America announced that the all-new 2015 Genesis sedan was awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor as a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ when equipped with optional front crash prevention

Hyundai Motor America

On May 7, Hyundai Motor America announced that the all-new 2015 Genesis sedan was awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor as a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ when equipped with optional front crash prevention. The vehicle is the first and only rear-wheel drive vehicle in its class to receive the award. In addition, the 2015 Genesis is the first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan to earn a Good rating in the small overlap crash test.

The IIHS rates vehicles in a moderate overlap front crash, a small overlap front crash, a side impact, and a rollover test; in addition, it evaluates seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impact collisions and evaluates available front crash prevention systems that are designed to prevent a crash or lessen its severity. To qualify for the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, vehicles must earn Good ratings for occupant protection in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. In addition, they must rate as acceptable or better in the small overlap test, and at least a basic rating for front crash prevention.

“The TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation recognizes state-of-the-art safety,” noted IIHS president, Adrian Lund. He added, “The new Genesis is not only engineered to protect people when crashes happen, but with its optional automatic emergency braking system rated superior in our tests, this car can help drivers avoid some of the most common kinds of collisions altogether.” Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America, added, “IIHS TOP SAFETY PICKS are important ratings in vehicle crash test safety. TOP SAFETY PICK+ recognition further reinforces its segment leadership in delivering advanced safety performance and technology as well as a host of world-class active and passive safety features.”

Hyundai motes that Genesis’ safety features are designed to prevent accidents and maximize the safety of its occupants in the event of a collision. The vehicle uses new Sensory Surround SafetyTM technology including a Hyundai first, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), which employs sensor fusion technology to help avoid a potential collision or reduce its impact. With the system, the Genesis will initiate automatic braking whenever it detects another vehicle at an unsafe closing rate of speed. This system uses the front radar from the Smart Cruise Control system and the forward camera from the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) to provide this extra level of safety. Furthermore, the vehicle combines available LDW with all-new Lane Keep Assist (LKA) to deliver a driver-adjustable level of steering assist to help prevent inadvertent lane departure when a vehicle approaches the edge of a lane; it also provides steering wheel haptic vibration feedback. Haptic technology is a tactile feedback technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user.

Hyundai notes that the latest iteration of the Genesis is liberally equipped with new, advanced technologies, many of them Hyundai firsts. A new driver-selectable Intelligent Drive Mode allows drivers to select from four drive modes, depending on conditions and driving preferences. A new Blind-Spot Detection system (BSD) helps monitor traffic around the car. For vehicles equipped with the Heads-Up Display (HUD), the BSD system indicators also project onto the windshield, nearer the driver’s view of the road. Lane Change Assist (LCA) helps detect vehicles approaching towards its rear side at high speeds, particularly during higher-speed driving; Rear Cross-traffic Alert (RCTA) scans areas to each side of the car when drivers are backing out of parking spaces. Hyundai claims that no other sedan in Genesis’ class offers the combination of BSD, LCA and RCTA.

Another techno-feature is the Genesis’ CO2 sensor control system. Hyundai engineers determined that occupants start to get drowsy when CO2 levels reached more than 2,000 parts per million; therefore, the vehicle’s new ventilation system helps ensure the cabin maintains a CO2 concentration well below that level at all times using freshly-ventilated ambient air.

For further information, regarding the Genesis and other Hyundai vehicles, click on this link.

For further information regarding the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, click on this link.

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Robin Wulffson is a California native and a graduate of the UCLA School of Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Lifetime Fellow of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He served as a battalion surgeon with the 2/77th Artillery, 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam; he was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Following his specialty training, he practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Orange County, California for 25 years. In addition to his medical and military background, he has a keen interest in technology, including automobiles. Since 1998, he has done freelance writing in the healthcare field. He has published two novels, which feature a strong female protagonist: An Improbable Cause and Avalon. Dr. Wulffson resides with his family in Tustin, California.